UNSW UNSW Medicine: General Entry Questions and Discussion

[kpsmms]

Hey guys!! Follow up from earlier, I sent an email to UNSW about changing my preferences to Kensington only and they replied! They were able to change it for me.

 

[TKAO]

Does the trimester system also apply to UNSW med? And if so, does that mean that you graduate in a shorter span of time?

 

[Sherlock]

Does the trimester system also apply to UNSW med? And if so, does that mean that you graduate in a shorter span of time?

Does not apply to UNSW med.

 

[A1]

Does the trimester system also apply to UNSW med? And if so, does that mean that you graduate in a shorter span of time?

I don't think it does because UNSW med's semesters are not the usual 4 course units per semester. It's one integrated course unit each and they don't run one in the 3rd semester.

 

[kpsmms]

Hey kpsmms , did you have to provide them with a reason for why you wanted to change, or did you only ask them to change it. Thanks!

Not really, although I did explain the situation to them (although I'm sure they're aware of my problem, and I might have come off as condescending). I wrote this, supplied my reference number and added a bunch of thank yous and sorrys:

I understand that the MAP is closed, however I was really hoping that I would be able to remove Port Macquarie from my Campus preferences and change it to “Kensington only”.

As UNSW medicine essentially has 4 options (Kensington CSP, Kensington BMP, PMQ CSP and PMQ BMP) and UAC doesn’t give a seperate preference entry for PMQ, I’m put in quite a difficult position!
UNSW Kensington is ultimately my first choice, however I put down that I would be willing to go to PMQ (as any offer is better than none). However, above PMQ, I would prefer to go to JMP. My preference list would be: UNSW Kensington > JMP > UNSW PMQ

As medicine offers in NSW only have 1 round (not including top up or interstate rounds), if I were to receive an offer from PMQ, then I would miss out on any potential offers from JMP, which I would much more prefer. That is why I was hoping to remove my preference for PMQ through UNSW.

 

[Med10]

Hey guys!! Follow up from earlier, I sent an email to UNSW about changing my preferences to Kensington only and they replied! They were able to change it for me.

No way?! What email did you send it to? That’s amazing, well done!

 

[kpsmms]

No way?! What email did you send it to? That’s amazing, well done!

Thank you! It was to [email protected]

 

[Med10]

Thank you! It was to [email protected]

Thanks for that, and thanks for updating us!

 

[Lyyrre]

I know that UNSW offers come out in two rounds, the first one is for NSW students, and the second is for interstate. However, I assumed that since most interstates that get a UNSW interview would have also gotten an interview in the state they’re from (as you need a high UCAT and ATAR to get a UNSW interview), so most would end up rejecting UNSW for other med degree closer to home, and that allows for top-up interviews for students from NSW. Am I correct in assuming this, or is the second round reserved for only interstates?

That is correct, UNSW website indicates that less than 5% of interstate applicants (edit: who attend an interview) eventually enrol in UNSW. Given UNSW's high cutoffs, interstates who qualify for a UNSW interview will most likely already qualify for either interviews or offers from their home states at UQ Bonded (QLD), Monash (VIC), Adelaide (SA), UWA and Curtin (WA), or UTAS (TAS) with better chances of receiving offers from nearly all these unis. I know some move for the prestige factor or just to be in Sydney.

From talking to the UNSW desk, they reserve enough places for January interviewees to receive offers provided they exceed the cutoff, and for those that don't, leaving vacant places, they go down the list and start making top-up offers to a mixed pool containing both NSW and interstate students. So it's most likely the case that NSW students can receive late top up offers after round 2.

 

[A1]

That is correct, UNSW website indicates that less than 5% of interstate applicants eventually enrol in UNSW.

The less than 5% of interstate applicants doesn't say anything much, because UNSW receive 2200 non-rural applications for 135 spots which means overall only 6-7% of NSW applicants enrol and that's in their home state/city. (But if they meant less than 5% of those with an offer enrolled that's a different story).

The rest of your post is true. UNSW pledges to treat interstate applicants equally so they reserve a conservative amount of places for the interstate round. Regardless of interstate declines they usually have spares to offer as 2nd round to NSW applicants.

And approximately how many students does UNSW interview?

In the Info evening video UNSW said last year they interviewed ~400 non-rural applicants (out of 2200) for 135 places and 150 rural (out of 200) for 50 places.

The split between NSW/interstate is not clear, my estimate is around 80-100 interstate out of the 400 non-rural interviewees.

 

[Smelly Boy]

I know that UNSW offers come out in two rounds, the first one is for NSW students, and the second is for interstate. However, I assumed that since most interstates that get a UNSW interview would have also gotten an interview in the state they’re from (as you need a high UCAT and ATAR to get a UNSW interview), so most would end up rejecting UNSW for other med degree closer to home, and that allows for top-up interviews for students from NSW. Am I correct in assuming this, or is the second round reserved for only interstates?

I’m not sure about top up interviews. I imagine that they’re rare because they already interview roughly 3 students for 1 Med spot. I’ve only heard of one top up interview and the person who received it is my good friend (this was for 2017 entry).

top up offers definitely exist

 

[ucatboy]

UNSW Scientia emails are out - they're based solely on ATAR and UCAT

Were you one of the lucky recipients?

 

[Lyyrre]

Actually do UNSW give out Scientia for January rounds? Not that my marks are high enough for it hahaha.

 

[ucatboy]

Actually do UNSW give out Scientia for January rounds? Not that my marks are high enough for it hahaha.

For school leavers at least, it looks like 99.95 is the ATAR hurdle then they rank applicants based on UCAT and pick the top two. The cutoff's somewhere in the 3300 zone.

 

[Lyyrre]

The less than 5% of interstate applicants doesn't say anything much, because UNSW receive 2200 non-rural applications for 135 spots which means overall only 6-7% of NSW applicants enrol and that's in their home state/city. (But if they meant less than 5% of those with an offer enrolled that's a different story).

The rest of your post is true. UNSW pledges to treat interstate applicants equally so they reserve a conservative amount of places for the interstate round. Regardless of interstate declines they usually have spares to offer as 2nd round to NSW applicants.



In the Info evening video UNSW said last year they interviewed ~400 non-rural applicants (out of 2200) for 135 places and 150 rural (out of 200) for 50 places.

The split between NSW/interstate is not clear, my estimate is around 80-100 interstate out of the 400 non-rural interviewees.

I just read this on the UNSW website:
"As a result, fewer than 5% of interstate applicants who attend an interview eventually enrol in our course."

 

[Crow]

I just read this on the UNSW website:
"As a result, fewer than 5% of interstate applicants who attend an interview eventually enrol in our course."

Wow, that’s an incredibly small stat! So 95% of the interstate interviews are essentially a waste of the interviewer’s time? Ouch.

 

[A1]

Wow, that’s an incredibly small stat! So 95% of the interstate interviews are essentially a waste of the interviewer’s time? Ouch.

This is the full text from the website:
"Since implementing an interview as part of the selection process, UNSW Medicine's experience is that the preference for almost all interstate applicants is to enter a medical school in their home state. Most non-NSW/ACT applicants apply to UNSW Medicine just in case they are not offered a place in a medical school closer to home. As a result, fewer than 5% of interstate applicants who attend an interview eventually enrol in our course.

To save interstate applicants from the very significant time and expense of travelling to Sydney for an interview, applicants who live outside of New South Wales or Australian Capital Territory are usually not interviewed until late January."

If we read between the lines it appears to mean 5% of interstate interviewees was back when UNSW interviewed them together with NSW applicants (i.e. before their home state offers). Therefore UNSW has decided to interview them in a separate round later.

(Otherwise it'd mean, say UNSW offers the typical 1 in 3 interviewees ratio = ~30 places out of 100 and only 5 of them enrol, that's 1 in 6 despite having spent substantial money to attend the interview after already having a home state offer).

 

[DrDrLMG!]

This is the full text from the website:
"Since implementing an interview as part of the selection process, UNSW Medicine's experience is that the preference for almost all interstate applicants is to enter a medical school in their home state. Most non-NSW/ACT applicants apply to UNSW Medicine just in case they are not offered a place in a medical school closer to home. As a result, fewer than 5% of interstate applicants who attend an interview eventually enrol in our course.

To save interstate applicants from the very significant time and expense of travelling to Sydney for an interview, applicants who live outside of New South Wales or Australian Capital Territory are usually not interviewed until late January."

If we read between the lines it appears to mean 5% of interstate interviewees was back when UNSW interviewed them together with NSW applicants (i.e. before their home state offers). Therefore UNSW has decided to interview them in a separate round later.

(Otherwise it'd mean, say UNSW offers the typical 1 in 3 interviewees ratio = ~30 places out of 100 and only 5 of them enrol, that's 1 in 6 despite having spent substantial money to attend the interview after already having a home state offer).

Yep, your interpretation of the 5% as applying to pre-splitting the rounds makes total sense. By interviewing later, than can remove the Verd’s and LMG’s from their list who get higher preferenced/home state offers, save the applicant a few dollars, save themselves the wasted time, and only interview people with a high likelihood of actually accepting a UNSW offer (because they don’t have a home state offer).

This would certainly drive that % up for current day interviewees.

 

[Cal]

Yep, your interpretation of the 5% as applying to pre-splitting the rounds makes total sense. By interviewing later, than can remove the Verd’s and LMG’s from their list who get higher preferenced/home state offers, save the applicant a few dollars, save themselves the wasted time, and only interview people with a high likelihood of actually accepting a UNSW offer (because they don’t have a home state offer).

This would certainly drive that % up for current day interviewees.

The thing is thought it is no help for Qld applicants because the offers don't come out until the day before the interviews start which is very annoying.

 

[A1]

The thing is thought it is no help for Qld applicants because the offers don't come out until the day before the interviews start which is very annoying.

Yes that is annoying. UNSW used to interview interstate applicants on 22ish Jan with offers released 5ish Feb, the date often clashed with Monash interstates. Only this year UNSW advances it to 16-17 Jan.